G-ForceReview

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Hold your horses, Debbie Downer -- it's not bad.

By Greg Miller

I'm as surprised as you are: G-Force is actually pretty decent. Don't get me wrong, I know Eurocom can turn a pretty good movie tie-in (I just reviewed the latest Ice Age game), but this is still a game based on a movie about guinea pigs saving the world... or something.

See, that's the biggest failing of the G-Force game. I'm reviewing this movie-based game long before the movie comes out. I think these animals work for the government, but I don't know because it's never explained in the game. You're just dropped into the Guinea Pig-sized vest of Darwin and set loose on the Saberling headquarters. See, Leonard Saber has produced a plethora of home and kitchen appliances, and now he's about to activate a program that'll make all the waffle irons and air fresheners link together, come to life and do his evil bidding.

Yeah, I could Wikipedia this, rewatch the trailer, or go talk to some kid on the street, but I've avoided those avenues just so you'd see how little story this title provides. Somewhere in the beginning of the game, the team starts complaining about missing Speckles but they don't say what happened to him or who he is and then the mole (?) reappears and doesn't explain where he was or how he got out. Odd.

Should this matter to you or your children? No. If you're even thinking about buying G-Force, I'm just assuming you and your family are pretty jazzed for the film. If you're going to run out and see this epic animated tale, you probably don't need to play through the same stuff you saw on the big screen and hear all the same stuff you heard in a crowded theater. You just want to play, and G-Force gives you those opportunities in spades.

Although it tosses in a driving mission here and there, G-Force is primarily a third-person shooter. You'll play as Darwin with a hover/jetpack strapped to your furry back and a number of weapons and gadgets at your disposal. The Plasma Gun lets you take down enemies in the distance, the Cluster Rifle's like a machine gun and the NanoHacker turns the machines that you're fighting into your allies. Still, the devices you'll be using the most are the Electro-Whip and Saberlizer.

Whereas the other weapons are assigned to the face buttons of the controller and limited by how much ammo you have, the whip's always at your disposal and great for up-close attacks -- a quick crack can take down the toasters and computer mice that get in your way. When you defeat these wacky machines (most of which have razor sharp teeth and appliance-related attacks), they'll leave behind the standard health packs, ammo, and SaberSense Chips, which are the game's currency. You can take these trinkets and upgrade your weapons at kiosks throughout the game's five mission locales.

Meanwhile, the Saberlizer allows you to scan objects and items in the environment for more information such as enemy weaknesses and how to unlock doors. Lots of times, conquering one of the game's puzzles falls on the wings of Mooch, a fly that buzzes next to Darwin throughout the game. Tapping up on the D-Pad, gives you control of the housefly and you get a set amount of time to zip through air ducts that would otherwise be inaccessible to the fuzzball. Mooch can deactivate enemies, flip switches, slow down time and more.

This dynamic duo is actually a lot of fun to play as. The shooting mechanics work, Darwin's ability to hover and double jump make navigating the big offices and storerooms fun, and having to switch back to Darwin a split-second after deactivating a trap as Mooch provides for some solid teamwork. Another thing keeping this experience fresh is the variety of enemies you'll face. Sure, you're going to see a lot of mice and waffle makers that you can just bash to death, but some of the more complex vacuums and razors actually require you to scan them with the Saberlizer so you can discover a weakness.

Of course, G-Force is designed with young ones in mind, so it's not perfect. At anytime, you can hit right on the D-Pad and be told where to go, so the challenge might not be there, and even though the blasting is fun, the levels seem to go on f-o-r-e-v-e-r. Although there are just five mission environments, these are broken up into a ton of parts (there's an Achievement for finishing in less than eight hours, so don't think this is a super-quick game) and they all look and feel pretty much the same. Although I thought everything worked well, I found myself getting sick of marching into sterile laboratories and shooting my way through heating ducts.

When all of this was really wearing on me in the beginning of the game, the gameplay jumped to an escape mission in the G-Force hamster ball car. It was different, but it wasn't super-exciting. You just drive down a sewer and hop over oil slicks and shoot stuff, but the reticle isn't very responsive and you can just sleepwalk through the bit.

Fight on, little one!

Probably with the fanbase in mind, none of the missions are all that hard in G-Force either. You have a bunch of extra lives that will restart you where you fell in battle, but I don't think I ever used more than one at a given section, and even that was rare. Thankfully, there are different difficulties to choose from, but I still wouldn't expect to be pulling your hair out at any point.

As an added, eye-searing bonus, G-Force packs two sets of 3D glasses so that when you turn on the filter from the options menu you get that red-and-blue effect you know from comic books. While it works sometimes -- the reticle pops off the screen and gives you a slicker depth of field -- it washes the color out of the game and generally hurts your eyes. And if you accidentally slip and turn on Darwin's infrared goggles while in your 3D goggles, expect a painful sting that will stick in your eyeballs for the next few hours. Seriously, I made that mistake about seven hours ago while Media Mike was watching me play, and my left eye is still aching. Again, this is all optional so praise your deity of choice.

The Verdict

There's no denying that G-Force is a simple game, but that doesn't mean that it can't be fun. Yes, the story will be an enigma if you haven't seen the flick and sometimes levels can seem like they go on and on, but collecting data discs, solving puzzles by flipping between Mooch and Darwin, and blowing up possessed blenders is fun. G-Force isn't a game everyone should be lining up to play, but people looking to have an interactive piece of the movie shouldn't be disappointed.

6PresentationThere's really no setup to the story. You're just dropped in. Still, they give you enough to get your bearings and movie fans probably won't need an introduction.

7.5GraphicsI was actually surprised by how crisp and clear the environments and characters look. It runs well, but sometimes the hair textures are obviously just stuck on.

7SoundDarwin and Juarez sound good enough, but the voice-a-like doing Tracy Morgan's character can't hold a candle to the real star.

7.5GameplayThe hovering, shooting, and Mooching are fun. Sadly, the levels can go on for too long and things can get repetitive. Still, you run on all fours when you use the jetpack boost; that's adorable.

7Lasting AppealDepending on your difficulty, it should take you -- give or take -- about eight hours to clear the game. Seeing as how things are so repetitive in the game, I don't know if you'll be back for more.